Fuck it all, doom merchants (that’s you by the way)!

Right. So that's me back from international duty - time to catch up on all that's been happening while I've been away not paying too much attention to events concerning our beautiful game.

Let’s see.

Our clubs are out of Europe (well, not quite. Ah no - wait), Hearts have a new manager, Scotland are pretty much out of contention for the Euro's next year, Colin Calderwood is still somehow manager at bottom-of-the-table Hibs, and Aberdeen are doing their level best to justify building a new stadium next year that they couldnae fill based on our ongoing run of 'form'. Rangers continue to have problems with the taxman, Dundee United continue to cling on to their past (#lolquote "following consultation with McLean") and Henry McLeish (mind of him?) is just coming around to the fact that the only contribution his report has made is to the share prices of companies in the paper waste disposal trade.

So to summarise: I appreciate we're only six games in, but it doesn't look like I've missed much. Apart from Motherwell being second in the league and St Mirren seven thousand points above my beloved Aberdeen FC (fit the fuck is that ah aboot min?) everything seems to be the way it should be.

Mince and Tatties 15 // Weekend Round-up (minus Dunfermline v St Mirren)

Aaaaah. That's better. Football. And none of your EPL fancy-dans with their high wages and their their temperemental wayward forwards. No. Proper football. Sendings off. High winds. Goalkeeping errors. The lot. Brilliant.

Now, I don't know which team you support dear reader, but I'll come clean. I support Aberdeen. Say it loud, say it proud. And there was a time that such a statement could only be made with confidence in an enclosed environment, usually in a darkened room away from everyone else for fear of attracting ridicule, but after Saturday's performance against St Johnstone there are, to quote Ian Dury, reasons to be cheerful. OK, so we didn't win the game, but we came as near as dammit, something Aberdeen have not done a lot against the team from Perth.

A sweeping move from midfield that started with Jack, Mackie, back to Jack on to Fyvie and, ehm onto the post, could have all seen Aberdeen get off to a happy start if only Vernon at the back post had been a little more alert (or stuck a foot or his head out) when the ball came crashing back from off the upright.

But no matter. Likesay, reasons to be cheerful, because it's not often you get to see silky sweeping football at Pittodrie, albeit with the aid of a force 9 gale blowing down from off the North Sea. Just ask Peter Enckleman, the Saints' goalie (and famous for this #facepalm moment, but it's not for us to dwell on the past) who repeatedly failed to deal with the filled bladder heading his way through gusty north-east skies, bending and swerving like a bending swerving thing.

Oh, and check out my boy Rickie Foster. The much-maligned captain of the Dons for this year sticking up two-fingers at the Merkland End with a couple of long-range howitzers. Nice.

So, what else happened this weekend?

Rangers' Ally McCoist gets off to a sticky start at home against Hearts. One full game into his tenure and already the "we back the manager" stories are appearing. We all know by now that these kinds of utterances from ex-managers and sage-like pundits are a precursor to months of crucification by the media into the competency (or not) of the person in question.

I always knew that McCoist would get his fair share of those as Rangers fall behind Celtic, but jings, didn't think it'd come after the first game . Oh, and the stories about 'bouncing back' are also somewhat early. Fair do's to Hearts though. They refused to do the obligatory and roll over to Rangers and so spoil what ought to have been a gala day on Glasgow's south-side. Bwhahahahahaha.

Up in Inverness Terry Butcher, just like Neil Lennon was not exactly happy with the early start to the season. Butcher thinks the whole thing is pure farcical, and goes on to demonstrate just how farcical by putting on display an inept piece of footballery and going down 3-0 to Motherwell. Celtic get their first three points on the board with an emphatic (OK, 2-0 ) win over Hibs. Former Hibee Anthony Stokes got proceedings of to a start. Do'h etc. Oh, Colin Calderwood get's the excuses in early.

If the brief highlights I saw are anything to go by, Dundee United and Kilmarnock play out an entertaining game. A 1-1 draw leaves everyone happy.

Tonight Dunfermline and St Mirren do battle. Pfffft.

Elsewhere, we found out just how much it costs to keep the Ugly Sisters apart (£2.4m it says here) while ex-referee and total fud Hugh Dallas has obviously gotten around to watching Angels and Demons and knows now quite what the Catholic Church is capable of. He avoids the inquisition by settling out of court.

Quick Release: An SPL Released Players XI

Inside Left takes a look through the transfer list and has a go at putting together a team made up of players released from their clubs at the end (or during the course) of last season.

And we're off!

Well, almost.

Yes, time to put away the bucket and spades, the After Sun, sombrero and sangria. Send mother up the stairs with the stepladder to fetch to scarves, rosettes and rattles down from yon attic. Polish the kids, straighten the flat caps and send faither off with the weans (or loons, depending on where you're from) to the stadium with enough money for the tram, a match day programme, a pint and a fish supper for on the way home. It's late July, it's 3pm, it's Saturday. It can only mean one thing: the return of FITBA!

'Tis the season to be jolly ..

.. or more importantly, t'is the season to be nice towards referees, nice to people of all religions and time to stop worrying about the money because, well, frankly there isn't too much of that around these days. Unless you're a referee that is ...

Yes, pissed-off referees, bigotry and financially stricken clubs - it can surely mean only one thing: a new season of Scottish football.

.. an Aberdeen FC season preview

A quick season preview I did for Scotzine.com from an Aberdeen FC point of view. It's been a while since I've written anything for insideleft.net, or even about football in general so it took a wee while to get back into the swing of things. See what you think. More stuff after the click ..

05.03 // Four to Follow

Right, let's forget that awful business in Glasgow the other week and get back to the football. There's a bit of a strange spread across the SPL this weekend, with our pick of the SPL game coming on Monday evening as Dundee United and Aberdeen go head to head. Elsewhere we're hoping (or not, depending on you're position here) that Dundee can extend that tremendous run of 4,213 unbeaten league games and that Neale Cooper won't be fired. Oh, Stranraer - if you could just go ahead and win that game, it would really make us happy.

Ready? Here we go!

26.02 // Four to Follow

Phew! The games are coming thick 'n fast these days. Barely have I recovered from the excitement of the midweek action (no, not that guffery in Lisbon, I'm talking about Ayr's 4-0 pumping at the hands of East Fife) when another batch of #fitbawaction comes our way. Fans of the Old Firm get to go shopping tomorrow while the rest of the huddled masses take to the buses, meaning, for the second week running, we have an Old Firm-free Four to Follow. And this week we welcome back Garry Swan, Scotland's only Tony Danza enthusiast, who has picked out four games you simply must follow this weekend.

Hey fellas, fellas - can I count it off? Ah one two three four ...

For Sale: Motherwell FC, one careful owner..

Motherwell are looking for new owners now that owner travel agent magnate John Boyle has decided to 'walk away' from the club after nearly fifteen years behind the scenes. He's hoping to give the club over to a wider local community. It's every fan's dream, but could the dream turn into a nightmare?

Mince and Tatties 14 // yet another post about Accies ...

... and that was the holiday. Three days with Mickey, Donald and friends. Thrills, spills, loads of Johnny Foreigners and massively overpriced food. Ay, it was almost like a week in Scottish football. Minus the thrills and spills of course. In today's Mince 'n Tatties we wave our magic wand in the direction of one of South Lanarkshire's finest, hoping to spread a little happiness....

19.02 // (Old Firm Free) Four to Follow

Now, I mustn't mention the Old Firm game. I mustn't. This blog is about the little guys, the underdogs, the also-rans in Scottish football. Yer Albion Rovers, yer Stranraers, yer Annan Athletics, yer Heart of Midlothians. So I must not mention what feels like the 400th game this season between Scotland's playground bullies. I should try not to refer to the fact that this game may well decide the league title. Nor should I say anything about Rangers' ongoing #financialknack, nor Neil Lennon's 'excessive misconduct' touchline-ban appeal hearing bladeblah. No. No reference shall be made.

See? I managed it. Easy. An entire intro without mentioning the Old Fi.. oh.

Craig Gordon, eat yer heart out ...

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8MvWg-wCtE

weknowsfa season review

With the season now finally over, it's time to look back at the season just past. Inside Left asked his fellow Scottish football bloggers for their opinions on how the season was for them. In the second of the series, WeKnowSFA continue our look back with their review of season 2009/10.

PERHAPS it’s all the fault of a society that is going to hell in a hand-basket but looking back on 2009/10, all we can remember is anger. If you’re a fan of Dundee United, St Johnstone or Hamilton Accies, take a bow because you’ve kept your head when all around were losing theirs, no mean feat this season!

Even champions Rangers had a fan base that was up in arms for much of the season. The bank with Donald Muir being “The Enemy Within” got dogs abuse all season but so did the players at the end of another shambolic Champions League campaign. Hardly the sort of dignity that Rangers pride themselves on but at least they weren’t as bad as Celtic.

Anger at the PLC, anger at Tony Mowbray, anger at the players and anger at the SFA for a season of honest mistakes which had a massive impact on how the season panned out. Not that the bad refs should cover up any of the terrible showings from Celtic players throughout the campaign and there was no problem with the match officials when Ross County triumphed at Hampden.

And what else?

St Mirren fans raging at their players and management at the end of a Cup final.

Hearts losing another manager but getting an old (torn) face back in. Mark McGhee cutting a ridiculous figure at the end of the campaign and Hibs and Motherwell having each other’s season in reverse.

All of that got plenty of people angry but what can you say about Steven Pressley? As soon as that promise of SPL survival slowly fell from his mouth you could have put your house on the Bairns going down. He has probably kept Kilmarnock alive and even though he brought a better spirit to the club, he couldn’t find a goal scorer.

Writing this before the Scottish Cup final so we don’t know who won it and to be honest, we’re not too fussed, both clubs deserve a big day in the sun so whoever triumphs, fair play to them!

Angry? Tired? Glad the season is over? Yep.....but looking forward to more for 2010/11.

We put up our own season review, "How Was The Season for You" a while back. http://www.insideleft.net/archives/5188

Inside Left is interested in finding out how the season was for you - leave us a comment, or send your article to us and we'll put them on the site. You can get in touch with us via the Contact page  http://www.insideleft.net/contact